Studies Showcase the Benefits of Lung Cancer Screenings

Patients who are at risk of developing cancer typically benefit from screening procedures that help identify potential malignancies in the lungs, breasts and other parts of the body. Medical imaging specialists have been working to improve their decision making by following appropriateness criteria for ordering exams.

The American Society for Radiation Oncology announced that patients who are at high-risk for lung cancer are more likely to undergo screenings when primary care physicians are familiar with specific guideline recommendations for the clinical test. Presented at the annual Chicago Multidisciplinary Symposium in Thoracic Oncology, the results come from a survey conducted by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

An online poll was distributed to 488 primary care providers, including doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who were associated with the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in North Carolina. The goal was to determine their knowledge and practice of lung cancer screenings, as well as their attitudes toward the procedure. The survey measured their use of the exams in 2013, the effectiveness of low-dose CT in reducing lung cancer mortalities and potential barriers to LDCT screenings.

Twenty-one percent of respondents had ordered a chest X-ray for lung cancer screening in 2013, and 12 percent recommended using LDCT. In addition, 3 percent ordered analysis of mucus from the lungs and airways to detect any presence of cancer cells. The survey indicated that 48 percent of participating clinical employees knew three or more of the six guidelines for LDCT screening.

"The results of this survey highlight an essential need for provider education on the effectiveness of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer, on lung cancer screening guideline recommendations and the potential benefits and harms of screening," Jennifer Lewis, M.D., lead study author and assistant chief of medicine at Wake Forest, said in a statement.

However, providers are not the only ones who could use increased education on lung cancer screenings. If patients are more informed, they can share decision making responsibilities with their physicians.

Study highlight benefits of screenings
AuntMinnie.com reported that studies on these lung specific exams underscore the need for awareness on their effectiveness at identifying tumors. A team of researchers from Emory University, led by Madhusmita Behera, Ph.D., compiled analysis of 863 patients with a mean age of 67.5 years who had either minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) or adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS).

Adenocarcinomas account for 60 percent of all lung cancers, and according to 2011 guidelines from the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society, tumors that are less than 0.5 centimeters are considered non-invasive. The size and aggressiveness of the malignancies are significantly influenced by patients being smokers, too.

The retrospective study involved 18 studies with lung cancers that were categorized as either AIS or MIA. Forty-three percent of the patients were smokers, and most had undergone resection, which is a surgical procedure that removes parts of affected organs. Pooled together, the five-year disease-free survival rate for the two groups was 97.7 percent. The Emory team believes that categorizing these diseases together would improve screening processes for both MIA and AIS.

As evidenced by numerous studies, lung cancer screenings can have a drastic effect on the mortality rates of individuals living with malignancies. When doctors and patients know the benefits and risks of LDCT and other modalities, they can make better decisions during exams. With the health care industry focused on reducing unnecessary expenses, the more information that stakeholders have, the better clinical outcomes will be.

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